Why LGBTQ+ Focused Healthcare?

LGBTQ+ individuals are:

• Less likely to have health insurance or fill prescriptions.
• More likely to delay seeking care.
• More likely to refuse healthcare services due to experiences with providers who are not experienced in LGBTQ+ care. 
• More likely to experience fear due to stigma, discrimination and institutional bias in healthcare systems.
• More likely to be obese and have a higher rate of HPV.
• At higher-risk for certain cancers. For example, lesbian and bisexual cisgender women have a higher risk for cervical cancer, while gay and bisexual cisgender men have higher risk for anal cancer.
• More affected by intersectional issues. For example, LGBTQ+ individuals of a racial or ethnic minority background may face additional economic barriers or experience heightened mistrust of medical providers.